Evil Through Blood

Hffyl scoffed, narrowing his eyes at Liv, "Invading countries is in your blood, isn't it?"

She held her ground, irritation evident in her voice, "We're not here to colonize. Just doing our job. You'd do well to remember that."

His chuckle was hollow. "Typical. Always have a reason, huh? Your 'job', your 'mission'. How do you think our lands felt when your ancestors marched in with their flags?"

She shot back, a tinge of annoyance creeping into her tone, "My ancestors? Do you even know where I'm from?"

His eyes glinted with a challenge. "Oh, I have an idea. But do you even know where I'm from?"

She paused for a second, a flash of uncertainty. "Does it matter now? We're here, together."

Hffyl leaned in, voice dripping with frustration, "You don't even know, do you? That's the problem. You come in, guns blazing, with no clue of the history, the people, the pain. You might not be planting flags, but you're still invaders in your own right."

Lee tried to interject, "Look, we—"

Hffyl cut him off, "Stay out of this." Then, turning back to Liv, "Your ignorance is just as harmful. It's like you think the world started when you lot decided to pay attention."

She bit her lip, fighting back a retort, "We're not here to argue history. We're here for a common cause."

His voice raised, bordering on a yell, "Common cause? Your kind of 'common cause' always ends up costing us. Always."

Hffyl, voice dripping with sarcasm, continued, "I bet you're only here to help yourself. When people like you 'help', I know exactly how it ends."

Her face reddened, temper rising, "You think you have me all figured out, don't you? Just another 'invader', here for her own gain? Newsflash, not all of us are like the stories you've heard."

He leaned forward, eyes hard, "It's not just stories. It's history. And your lot has a way of repeating it."

She shot back, "You know nothing about me. Or my reasons."

Suresh quietly began rummaging through his bag, pulling out a few snacks, clearly trying to distract himself from the escalating tension.

Dollah whispered something in Malay to a fellow crewmate, shaking his head, clearly disapproving of the rising hostility.

Hffyl picked up on the distraction, his voice sharper, "Oh, I've seen enough. Folks like you show up with big promises, and once you get what you want, you leave chaos in your wake."

Challengingly, she said, "You think we're all the same? Just faceless invaders out for our own gain? Maybe you should open your eyes and see people for who they truly are."

Hffyl's voice was low, nearly a growl, "I've seen enough. I've lost enough. So excuse me if I don't roll out the welcome mat for you and your team."

"Why is it just me you can't stand?" Liv's voice quivered with contained rage, her gaze fixed on Hffyl. "Everyone else here seems to be alright with me, so why can't you?"

Hffyl shot back without hesitation, "Because you're British. That's why."

The cavern grew still, everyone's attention focused on the two.

That was the breaking point for Liv. Tears welled in her eyes as her face reddened. "You know what?" she spat out, her voice shaky. "Fine! Yes, maybe my ancestors did invade wherever the hell you're from. Maybe they did rob and plunder your lands and many others. But if you want to judge me by my blood and history I had no hand in creating, then let's play."

She stepped closer, her voice dripping with venom. "So you're Malay, right? Let's talk about your kind then. Lazy, love to gossip and slander. Oh, and even though you're supposedly smart, your people were foolish enough to let foreigners walk right in and take over. Is that what you're hinting at?"

People exchanged uneasy glances, clearly uncomfortable. The tension was palpable.

She continued, breathing heavily, "And your country? 'Diverse' on paper, sure. Multiple cultures, multiple languages. But behind closed doors? Stereotyping each other, racial tensions bubbling beneath the surface. Heck, even within the same race, you lot are divided. So don't stand there on your high horse and preach."

Liv paused to catch her breath, her chest heaving, "It's a shame, really. I'd hoped that by now, in this time and age, we'd have grown past the notion that sins and attitude are passed down by blood."

Hffyl's face had turned a shade of dark maroon, his hands clenched, but he was clearly at a loss for words. Everyone was.

"And another thing," Liv continued, her anger now mixing with frustration, "Say, for argument's sake, there was no invasion. What then? Think you'd be living in a utopia?"

She chuckled bitterly, her tone sarcastic, "Would everyone just be holding hands, singing songs? Or perhaps," she shot him a challenging look, "you'd find another tribe, another race, or heck, another village to have an issue with. A little insular conflict, perhaps? Maybe some regional superiority complex?"

A few nods from the gathered group showed that her words struck some truth, the memory of age-old inter-village rivalries in their homelands fresh in their minds.

She leaned in closer to Hffyl, her voice cold and dripping with disdain, "Or would you be warring among yourselves, trying to prove which sultanate or state was the 'purest' or most 'righteous'? Fighting over borders? Resources? Paddy fields?"

Taking a shaky breath, Liv glanced at the gathered faces, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You know," she began, voice wavering, "Over the years, so much has tried to break me, to bring me to tears. Didn't think it'd be a kid who'd push me this close." Her voice dripped with both bitterness and sadness.

She sniffed, wiping away a stray tear angrily. "Look, if y'all won't help me find the rest of my squad, fine. But I can't - I won't - leave them out there. So, I'm going to find them. With or without help."

With that, she turned on her heel, her back straight, determination evident in every step. As she left, there was a palpable tension in the air. Hffyl was left standing, a frustrated look on his face, biting his lower lip as if trying to find the right words.